The present invention relates to a roll film transfer apparatus, and more particularly to a roll film transfer apparatus which automatically feeds a roll film wound on a supply reel and automatically winds it onto a take up reel. For example, the invention is utilized in a roll film carrier for a reader or a reader printer, which retrieves a prescribed frame of a roll microfilm and projects it on a screen for viewing or selectively performs the viewing and the printing.
Roll microfilms are broadly classified at present into a film F.sub.1 enclosed in a cartridge A of M type of 3M (Minesota Mining & Manufacturing) in U.S.A. as shown in FIG. 1 and a film F.sub.2 enclosed in a cartridge B of standard type of ANSI (American National Standards Institute, Inc.) as shown in FIG. 2.
The cartridges A and B of these types are different, on the basis of their own structure, in the connection structure of an internally enclosed reel a.sub.1 or b.sub.1 to a drive shaft and also in the feeding-out system of the roll film F.sub.1 or F.sub.2 wound on each reel a.sub.1 or b.sub.1.
Consequently, in the prior art, exclusive machines corresponding to respective types were required to be used, or the exchange of some parts of a roll film carrier was necessary to enable use in the other type of machine. However, use of the exclusive machines is disadvantageous in that both type cartridges are not compatible. On the other hand, although the use of the cartridges of different types by exchange of parts eliminates the above disadvantages in the exclusive machines, a troublesome work is required to exchange a reel drive shaft for driving a reel and further a roll film leading end feed mechanism.
Aside from the differences resulting from the structure of the cartridges themselves, the films F.sub.1 and F.sub.2 are different from each other in the feeding-out system wherein the former film F.sub.1 is provided with a leader tape T of large width and strong material at its leading end. Explaining the difference of the width specifically, in the film of 16 mm, for example, the leader tape T of 20.5 mm is used. Consequently, a difference regarding whether the leader tape T exists or not produces a difference of width of 16 mm and 20.5 mm in the leading end of the films F.sub.1 and F.sub.2.
Usually, in a roll film carrier, frame retrieval marks (document marks) provided adjacent to each frame on the films F.sub.1, F.sub.2 are read to perform the retrieval. In order to read the document marks accurately without meandering of the films F.sub.1, F.sub.2, width of a film feed path between a supply reel and a take-up reel must fit to that of the film F.sub.1, F.sub.2. To meet such requirement, parallelly installed exclusive transfer paths suitable for respective films may be selectively used, or otherwise the exclusive transfer path or its film width direction positioning member may be exchanged and used. However, in the selective use system of the parallelly installed transfer paths, the transfer paths are much complicated. In the exchange use system of the transfer path or its parts, burden is required to gather the parts and also the exchange work is troublesome and may produce troubles such as forgetting of exchange, mistake of exchange or loss of the exchange parts. Furthermore, storage of the parts is required.
Regarding the film winding onto the take-up reel,for both the films F.sub.1 and F.sub.2, the film winding is performed while the film leading end advancing to the film take up mechanism is hooked to a film winding pawl at an inside surface of a flange on both ends of a take-up shaft of the take-up reel. In the case of the film of M type with the film leading end formed by the strong leader tape T, the film has a good straight advancing property on its leading end which in turn causes the film leading end to lack in the approaching property to the take-up shaft of the take-up reel so that the film is not wound securely to the take-up shaft even through the film winding pawl is used and sometimes the automatic winding cannot be achieved. On the other hand, if the film of ANSI type which has no leader tape is used and if it has a winding curl opposite to the direction of winding on its leading end, the advancing property in the opposite direction is strong so that the film leading end may not easily come into contact with the take-up shaft of the take-up reel. Accordingly, this may provide a problem similar to that of the M type.